“Though previously attempts were made to add skills and vocations to education but it did not actually take off and I very reluctantly say this that education had a bias against skills which was not given due importance,” Rajiv Pratap Rudy said.

The Government is imparting skill-based training for entry-level jobs and employment opportunities for people in unorganised sector including those seeking to work abroad as drivers and domestic help, Union Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Mr Rajiv Pratap Rudy said at an ASSOCHAM event held in New Delhi.

“Ideally such basic skills should be imparted at the school level itself but since it did not happen, it is being taken up separately by the Government,” said Mr Rudy while addressing an ASSOCHAM Skill India Summit.

Mr Rudy also said there have been many instances where people went abroad to work as a driver or as domestic help but since they were not aware of the rules, law and order of that foreign country they got caught and were imprisoned for unknowingly doing something wrong.

He however conceded that Government is finding it difficult to train as many people in accordance with the demand/requirement of the industry.

“We are glad to see the response of all stakeholders including the industrial houses in terms of skill development which had been missing for all these years, as such we are imparting industrial training, short-term training, services sector training to people,” the Union Minister said.

He also said that in the post-independent India, people at the helm put significant focus on developing education sector but somehow forgot the relevance of skill development.

“It is only the skill that portrays once success but we have not been able to realise this for years as only those people became successful who got educated, though skills should have been developed along with education but that did not happen,” said Mr Rudy.

He added that it took India 68 years to realise the importance of developing skills. “Though previously attempts were made to add skills and vocations to education but it did not actually take off and I very reluctantly say this that education had a bias against skills which was not given due importance.”

He also lauded efforts being made by states like Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and others in promoting skill development and employment.

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